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Summer Denim

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Thanks to spring's focus on seventies fashion, lots of the decade's key looks are back in circulation. The moment we saw jumpsuits and bowtie blouses gaining popularity, we knew that the era's medium-hued denim was probably on the cusp as well. Sure enough, we recently spotted a whole slew of blue jean babies wearing these faded denim pieces.

Some of our favorite examples of this summer denim trend appeared on the Chanel runway. Karl Lagerfeld started the show with a range of denim jackets, dresses, and trousers-basically everything except for standard-issue jeans. British designer Peter Jensen also showed an ode to American style. One of his spring looks featured a tie-front skirt worn with a cropped jacket, both in denim of course. Even the traditionally print-focused Emilio Pucci showed an all-blue look. The house's designer, Matthew Williamson, paired jean shorts with a denim button-down blouse for an Ali MacGraw, circa The Getaway, sort of chic.

We've already noticed that a number of on-trend tastemakers are embracing this summer style. Ashley Olsen was snapped leaving West Hollywood's Aurelia Adrian Institut de Beaute wearing a double dose of denim. She paired a faded snap-front denim shirt with a darker pair of jeans for a blue-on-blue look. In London, pop singer Nicola Roberts made a full-skirted denim dress more modern by wearing it with a black leather motorcycle jacket and cross-body bag. Liv Tyler gave the look a casual nod when she wore a blue jean playsuit with a gray t-shirt for a day in Griffith Park with her son. We couldn't talk about this trend without pointing out the denim-dress loving Alexa Chung. The Brit it girl has several frocks and smocks in the medium-blue hues (including one from H&M). Seen here leaving Radio 1, Chung wore a denim dress with her signature knee socks and D&G's Studded Bag. We love that she threw an oversized plaid coat over her dress; it gives the whole look a very nineties/grunge vibe.

These runway and celebrity styles are easy to translate into real life looks and there are endless styles to select from. We only ask that you try something like a vest, blouse, dress, playsuit, skirt or even trousers-in other words, not just boring old jeans. We can tempt you with lots of affordable product, like the swingy Urban Outfitter's Snap Front Denim Circle Skirt ($58) or the Busby Denim Vest ($22.80) from Forever 21. We also love the easy style and softly faded blue of Charlotte Ronson's Denim Jumper ($198) and the cuffed hem on Burfitt's Denim Shorts Jumper ($334). And last, but not least, we tracked down the tie-front Light Denim Alexa Skirt ($415) seen in the above center runway image!